Runner-controlled hydraulic turbines, pumps and propellers



Jan. 18, 1966 o. J. G. HEDBERG 3,229,771

RUNNER-CONTROLLED HYDRAULIC TURBINES, PUMPS AND PROPELLERS Filed April25, 1964 INVENTOR: OLOF JOHAN GERHARD HEDBERG BY M%.M\ M L HIS ATTORNEYSUnited States Patent 3,229,771 RUNNER-CONTROLLED HYDRAULIC TURBINES,PUMPS AND PROPELLERS Olof Johan Gerhard Hedherg, Karlstad, Sweden,assignor to Aktieholaget Karlstads Mekaniska Werkstad, Karlstad, Sweden,a company of Sweden Filed Apr. 23, 1964, Ser. No. 361,996 Claimspriority, application Sweden, Apr. 29, 1963, 4,651/ 63 2 Claims. (Ci.170-16032) The present invention relates to runner-controlled hydraulicturbines, pumps and propellers, and particularly to turbines, pumps andpropellers having remotely controlled variable pitch or adjustablerunner blades.

In known designs of mechanisms for adjusting the runner blades, ahydraulic servomotor is located in the rotating system of the turbine,pump or propeller. This servomotor is operated by means of a controlvalve which can be located either in the rotating system or outside therotating system.

Usually the control valve is located in the rotating system, concentricwith the axis of rotation and in close proximity to the servomotor.However, with the valve close to the servomotor, it is deep down in theshafting so that access to the control valve and its liner forinspection and overhaul is difficult, and any means for directmechanical indication of the actual runner blade setting is complicated.

In designs where the control valve is located outside the rotatingsystem, the valve and liner are easily accessible and the means fordirect mechanical indication of runner blade position are relativelysimple, but these constructions occupy a great deal of space and areexpensive as compared with designs in which the control valve is locatedin the rotating system.

The present invention relates to an improvement in runner-controlledhydraulic turbines, pumps or propellers in which the pitch of the runnerblades can be varied by means of a hydraulic servomotor in the runnerhub or in the shaft carrying the runner hub, and the control valve islocated concentrically in the rotating system in or adjacent to theupper part of the shaft and is mechanically connected to the servomotorin such a manner that direct mechanical indication of runner bladesetting is obtained.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to theaccompanying drawing in which the single figure is a schematic verticalsection through a hydraulic turbine embodying the invention.

As illustrated in the drawing, the turbine includes a turbine runner orpropeller -1 attached to a drive or driven shaft 2, which is mounted ina thrust bearing 3 and a guide bearing 4, which may be of the sleevetype, as shown, or of the antifriction ball or roller type. A hydraulicservomotor consisting of a cylinder 5 forming a part of the runnercasing and a piston 6 is housed in the runner 1. The piston 6 isconnected to the variable pitch runner blades 7 by means of a piston rod8, a crosshead 9 fixed to the piston rod and links 10 pivotallyconnecting the ends of the crosshead 9 to levers 11 extendingsubstantially radially of the propeller blade hubs to afford a means forrotating the blades around their axes to change their pitch.

The elements for controlling the operation of the servomotor are shownin the upper part of the figure and are referred to hereinaftercollectively as a combinator 12 which is mounted on the upper wall of anoil pot or reservoir 13. A control slide valve plug 14 is mounted in aslide valve sleeve 15 having a peripheral piston 16 thereon slidable ina cylinder 17 supported by the oil pot 13. A lower pipe 18 and an upperpipe 19 communicate with the cylinder 17 on opposite sides of the piston16. Pipe 19 is connected to a regulating slide valve 20, which isprovided with an inlet pipe 21 and an exhaust pipe 22 connected to anoil pan or sump 23. A slide valve plug 24 in the valve 20 is movablyattached to the control valve sleeve 15 by means of a lever 25 and arestoring link 26. Lever 25 rests by gravity on or is otherwise biasedagainst a cam 27 which can be controlled by means of a connecting rod28.

A passage 29 in the sleeve 15 connects the lower part of the cylinder 17to an annular space 30 between the sleeve 15 and the slide valve plug14. Two internal annular collars 31 and 32 in the sleeve 15 are locatedso that they can close two ports 33 and 34 in the valve plug 14.

The plug 14 is rigidly attached to the servomotor piston 6 by means oftwo pipes 35 and 36. Pipe 35 forms a flow passage between the port 33and the space below the piston 6 in the cylinder 5. The space betweenpipes 35 and 36 forms a passage between the port 34 and the space abovethe piston 6 in the servomotor cylinder 5.

A pointer 37 is fixed to the valve plug 14 and is disposed adjacent to amatching scale 38 fixed in the top of the'oil pan or sump 23 forindicating the setting of the rod 14 and thereby also the setting of thepiston 6 and the pitch of runner blades 7.

1 The control system described above operates as folows:

Different height levels of the control valve sleeve 15 correspond todifferent mutually fixed positions of the parts to which it ismechanically connected, namely the restoring link 26, the lever 25, thecam 27 and the valve rod 24 of the regulating valve 20. If the cam 27 isturned clockwise by means of the connecting rod 28 so that it lifts thelever 25, valve rod 24 is moved upwardly and communication isestablished between the pipe 19 and the exhaust pipe 22 allowing oil orother liquid in the system to flow from the cylinder 15 above the pistoninto the sump 23. The pressure above the piston 16 will then drop, whilethe pressure below piston 16 will remain unaltered inasmuch as the spacebelow piston 16 is connected by means of the pipe 18 to a pump (notshown) having its inlet or suction port connected to the reservoir 13and its discharge port connected to the pipe 18. Other sources ofhydraulic pressure can, of course, be used instead of a pump. Thedifference in pressure on opposite sides of piston 16 causes the valvesleeve 15 and the restoring link 26 to move upwardly rocking the lever25 counterclockwise and moving the valve plug 24 downwardly into aposition in which it disconnects the pipes 19 and 22, and thus limitsthe upward movement of the sleeve 15 to a position corresponding to theposition into which cam 27 was turned.

When in the manner described above, the control valve sleeve 15 movesupwardly, the annular collars 31 and 32 will uncover the ports 33 and34, allowing oil under pressure supplied by the oil pump to flow throughthe pipe 18, passage 29, space 30, port 33 and pipe 35 to the spacebelow the piston 6 in the servomotor cylinder 5, while the space in thecylinder 5 above the piston 6 now communicates with the oil pot orreservoir 13 through the passage between the pipes 36 and 35 and theport 34. Piston 6 is moved upwardly by the difference in pressure onopposite sides of the piston 6 and also moves control valve plug 14, towhich it is rigidly attached by means of pipes 35 and 36, upwards untilthe ports 33 and 34 are again covered and closed by the collars 31 and32. With the ports 33 and 34 closed, the oil in the cylinder on bothsides of the piston 6 will be trapped and the piston 6 is retainedagainst movement with the blades 7 adjusted to a different pitch.

It will be understood that by turning cam 27 counterclockwise into aposition which lowers the lever 25, the servomotor piston 6 will bemoved downwardly with a corresponding change in the adjustment of pitchof the blades.

Inasmuch as the servomotor piston 6 is mechanically connected to therunner blades 7 and rigidly attached to the valve plug 14, the pointer37 indicates the pitch of the runner blades 7 directly on the scale 38.

The control system may include other fluid flow connections than thosedescribed above. Thus, an overflow pipe 39 returns oil from the sump 23to the reservoir or pot 13 and an oil return pipe 40 returns oil leakingfrom the cylinder to the reservoir13 or supplies oil to the linkage inthe turbine runner, as may be required.

It will be understood that the control system described above can beused with an engine driven propeller, for example, for use forpropelling boats, ships and the like, or it may be used in turbines andthe like wherein flow of fluid around the runner develops power fordriving other mechanisms. Appropriate driving connections will be madeto the propeller shaft 2 as may be required.

It will be understood further that the form of the invention describedabove is illustrative and that other changes in structure andarrangements of parts may be made therein without departing from theinvention as set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A control and indicating system for adujsting the blades of turbine,propeller and pump runners and the like comprising a runner havingadjustable blades mounted thereon, a tubular drive shaft supporting saidrunner for rotation, a servomotor in said runner including a cylinderand a first piston movable in said cylinder, means connecting said firstpiston to said blades for adjusting said blades in response to movementof said piston, a slide valve in axial alignment with and outside of theend of said shaft remote from said runner, said slide valve including avalve plug movable relative to said shaft and a slide valve sleeveslidably receiving said plug and movable relative to said shaft and saidplug, conduits extending lengthwise in said tubular shaft and havingpassages controlled by said plug and sleeve connected to said cylinderat opposite sides of said first piston, said plug and sleeve in onerelative position preventing flow of fluid through said passages, and inother positions admitting fluid to said cylinder on one side of saidfirst piston and discharging fluid from the cylinder on the oppositeside of said first piston to move said first piston and selectivelyincrease and decrease the pitch of said blades, a second pistonconnected to said sleeve, a second cylinder receiving said second pistonslidably and a second valve operable in one position to prevent flow offluid to said second cylinder and actuatable for supplying fluid underpressure to sa d second cylinder to move said sleeve relative to saidplug, said conduits fixedly connecting said first piston to said plugfor moving said plug relative to said sleeve to said one position toclose said passages.

2. A control and indicating system for adjusting the blades of turbine,propeller and pump runners and the like comprising a runner havingadjustable blades mounted thereon, a tubular drive shaft supporting saidrunner for rotation, a servomotor in said runner including a cylinderand a first piston movable in said cylinder, means connecting said firstpiston to said blades for adjusting said blades in response to movementof said piston, a slide valve in axial alignment with and outside of theend of said shaft remote from said runner, said slide valve including avalve plug movable relative to said shaft and a slide valve sleeveslidably receiving said plug and movable relative to said shaft and saidplug, conduits extending lengthwise in said tubular shaft and havingpassages controlled by said plug and sleeve connected to said cylinderat opposite sides of said first piston, said plug and sleeve in onerelative position preventing flow of fluid through said passages, and inother positions admitting fluid to said cylinder on one side of saidfirst piston and discharging fluid from the cylinder on the oppositeside of said first piston to move said first piston and selectivelyincrease and decrease the pitch of said blades, a second pistonconnected to said sleeve, a second cylinder receiving said second pistonslidably, a second valve operable in one position to prevent flow offluid to said second cylinder and actuatable for supplying fluid underpressure to said second cylinder to move said sleeve relative to saidplug, lever and link means connecting said second valve and said sleeve,a cam for moving said lever to actuate said second valve to supply fluidto said second cylinder and move said sleeve, and said lever and linkmeans being responsive to movement to said sleeve to restore said secondvalve to said one position and stop flow of fluid to said secondcylinder, said conduits fixedly connecting said first piston to saidplug for moving said plug relative to said sleeve to said one positionto close said passages.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 715,395 12/1902Lake 160.47 X 1,929,436 10/1933 McCollough 170-160.22 X 2,028,448 1/1936 Harza 170160.23 X 2,513,546 7/1950 Atteslander 170-160.32 X

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,260,746 4/ 1961 France.

175,342 5/1961 Sweden.

MARK NEWMAN, Primary Examiner.

JULIUS E. WEST, Examiner.

1. A CONTROL AND INDICATING SYSTEM FOR ADJUSTING THE BLADES OF TURBINE,PROPELLER AND PUMP RUNNERS AND THE LIKE COMPRISING A RUNNER HAVINGADJUSTABLE BLADES MOUNTED THEREON, A TUBULAR DRIVE SHAFT SUPPORTING SAIDRUNNER FOR ROTATION, A SERVOMOTOR IN SAID RUNNER INCLUDING A CYLINDERAND A FIRST PISTON MOVABLE IN SAID CYLINDER, MEANS CONNECTING SAID FIRSTPISTON TO SAID BLADES FOR ADJUSTING SAID BLADES IN RESPONSE TO MOVEMENTOF SAID PISTON, A SLIDE VALVE IN AXIAL ALIGNMENT WITH AND OUTSIDE OF THEEND OF SAID SHAFT REMOTE FROM SAID RUNNER, SAID SLIDE VALVE INCLUDING AVALVE PLUG MOVABLE RELATIVE TO SAID SHAFT AND A SLIDE VALVE SLEEVESLIDABLY RECEIVING SAID PLUG AND MOVABLE RELATIVE TO SAID SHAFT AND SAIDPLUG, CONDUITS EXTENDING LENGTHWISE IN SAID TUBULAR SHAFT AND HAVINGPASSAGES CONTROLLED BY SAID PLUG AND SLEEVE CONNECTED TO SAID CYLINDERAT OPPOISTE SIDES OF SAID FIRST PISTON, SAID PLUG AND SLEEVE IN ONERELATIVE POSITION PREVENTING FLOW OF FLUID THROUGH SAID PASSAGES, AND INOTHER POSITIONS ADMITTING FLUID TO SAID CYLINDER ON ONE SIDE OF SAIDFIRST PISTION AND DISCHARGING FLUID FROM THE CLYINDER ON THE OPPOSITESIDE OF SAID FIRST PISTON TO MOVE SAID FIRST PISTON AND SELECTIVELYINCREASE AND DECREASE THE PITCH OF SAID BLADES, A SECOND PISTONCONNECTED TO SAID SLEEVE, A SECOND CYLINDER RECEIVING SAID SECOND PISTONSLIDABLY AND A SECOND VALVE OPERABLE IN ONE POSITION TO PREVENT FLOW OFFLUID TO SAID SECOND CYLINDER AND ACTUATABLE FOR SUPPLYING FLUID UNDERPRESSURE TO SAID SECOND CYLINDER TO MOVE SAID SLEEVE RELATIVE TO SAIDPLUG, SAID CONDUITS FIXEDLY CONNECTING SAID FIRST PISTON TO SAID PLUGFOR MOVING SAID PLUG RELATIVE TO SAID SLEEVE TO SAID ONE POSITION TOCLOSE SAID PASSAGES.